Counter.



section through 1 '0 aa w/wm. it may shaft to turn and means covered with move.

WALTER sorifinmniv, or missELiJQnr, GERMANY.

COUNTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

Application filed April 30, 1912. Serial No. 594,28

concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER SGHtiRMANN, a citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing at Dusseldorf, in the Empire of Germany, have invented a new and useful Counter, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of a simple counter comprising a shaft turnable and longitudinallyshiftable in a casing, a series of nus meral wheels loose on the shaft and adapted to be taken along with the latter by friction and to be stopped while permitting the for feeding the several numeral wheels one after the other in the proper order. By longitudinally shifting and thenturning the shaft, all the numeral wheels are returned to their 0 position. In other words the counter can be canceled in a simple manner.

I will now proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the counter, the mantle of the casing being removed and. parts shown in section, Fig, 2 is an end view of the same, when looked at from the right in Fig. 1, Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same, a part being broken away and other parts shown in section, Fig. 4 is a vertical the line A+B in Figf'3, Fig. 5 is the left part of Fig. 3, in which the shaft is shifted to the left, and Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the broken line C-D in Fig. 5.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Two end plates 4, 4 are connected together by means of three rods 14, 21, 22 and are a suitable cylindrical mantle all these parts forming the (not shown),

'In this casing a shaft casing of the counter. 1 is mounted to turn and to Several, here seven, independent numeral wheels 2, 2 having their numerals 0 -to 9 on the periphery aremounted loosely on the shaft 1 and should be so arranged, that they can be taken along with the shaft 1 during its rotation by friction. In the present case this is effected in the manner, 1

that each-numeral wheel 2 has in its nave a hole in which a helical spring 3 is disposed, that bears against the shaft 1. The extreme right nunieral'wheel 2 in Fig. 1 serving as a units-wheel is on its right side provided with a ave extension, which turns in the longitudinally right end .plate ,4 and is rigidly connected with a ratchet wheel .19 (Fig. 2,) having en teeth. A y I end face of the shaft 1 by means sf a screw 24 and is made to bear against an inner shoulder in the said .nave extension of the units-wheel. Rings 25, 25 surrounding the shaft 1. are inserted between the several numeral wheels 2, 2 and across pin 6 fastened in the shaft 1 is made to bear against the extreme left numeral wheel 2 .in Figs. 1 and 3, so that in this manner the several numeral wheels 2, 2 are prevented fromlongitudinal motion on the shaft 1. Whereso preferred, however, therings 25, 25 may omitted and the several naves, The said mantle of ,the cas ng should be provided with a knownlongiikudj nalslot or with a series of openings, through which the numerals on the several numeral wheels 2, 2 can appear oneafter the other. A,helical spring 7 surrounding the shaft and bearing on the one hand against the left end plate 4 in Figs. land 3 and on ,the

return the shaft 1 with the several numeral wheels 2, Adisk 8 is fastened on the shaft 1 on the and 3 and limits the longitudinal motion of theshaft 1. The disk 8 has a hole 10 (Fi s. 3 and 4), in which a pin 9 fastened int end plate 4 can engage. A suitable knob 5 is rigidly connected with the left end of the shaft 1 and can for pulling the rod 1 with the numeral wheels 2, 2 to the left against the pressure of the spring 7 Fastened on the right end plate 4 is a pin 26, on which a lever 27 is mountedto rock. The turn of the lever 27 may be liiiiited by the said mantle, and the lever is to be connected in any known manner with some reciprocating part, the number of strokes of which is to be counted by the instrument. For example the lever 27 may be provided with a slot 28, in which some pin .(not shown) can .begadjusted, for pivotally connecting the reciprocatinggpart with the lever 27. A spring-pressed pawl 20 is disposed on the inner side ofthe lever 27, and is adapted to normally engage the ratchet wheel 19. 'W hen the shaft, 1 by lineans of the knob 5 is pulled to the left in Figs. 1 and ,3 so as to bring the disk 8\0ut of engagement with the pin 9, also the left side of the leftend plate 4 in Figs 1 be seized with thefingers.

numeral wheels 2, 2 I may be made to touch one another with,their other hand against the cross pin fi -tends ,to

2 to the normal positionshown.

ratchet wheel 19 will come out of engagement with the pawl 20, so that it is possible to turn the shaft 1 with the ratchet wheel 19,

until after the completion of one revolution the pin 9 again engages in the hole 10 of the disk 8 and in consequence of this the shaft 1 is permitted to return to its normal position under the action of the helical spring 7.

Preferably the lever 27 is on its inner side provided with a pin 29 for so limiting the turn of the pawl 20 as to enable the latter to reengage in the respective tooth space of the ratchet wheel 19 during the rocking motion of "the lever 27, while the shaft 1 is being returned to its initial position.

Each numeral wheel 2 has on the right side in Figs. 1 and 3 ten pointed pins 11, 11 distributed along the periphery andon the left side two pins 12 (Fig. 6) at a small distance from one another and a notch 17 (Fig. 5) registering with the space between the two pins 12. Loose on the rod 14 are pinions 13, 13, the number of which isequal to that of the numeral'wheels 2, 2. The. pinions 13, 13 are in contact with one another and with the end plates 4, 4: and are thus prevented from longitudinal motion. Each pinion 13 has long teeth 16 and show-teeth;

15, which alternate with one another, clearly shown. For the normal position. of the shaft 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 3 all'the teeth of eachpinion 13 can mesh one-after the other with the pins 11 of the numeral wheel 2 on the left side, so that on any numeral wheel 2 completing one revolution its two pins 12, 12 will engage the teeth 15,116 of the pinion 13 (Fig. 6) and thereby turn the next higher numeral wheel 2 one numeral forward, the long tooth 16 engaging in the notch 17 of the lower numeral wheel, after which the two longteeth 16 in contact with the periphery of the lower numeral wheel 2 will prevent the pinion 13 and thereby the next higher numeral wheel 2 from moving. i I

When for canceling the counter the knob 5 is pulled to the left. in Figs. 1: and 3 and then turned, the pins ll, 11 0f all the numeral wheels 2, 2 'wilhbel thereby brought out of engagement'with the corresponding pinions 13, 13 (see Fig. 5), so that the numeral wheels 2, 2 can be taken along with the shaft 1' by frictionby means of the helical springs 3, 3, but the pinions 13 are prevented from turning as their teeth 12 ride over the rims of said wheels. It will thus be evident, that on any numeral wheel 2 reaching its 0 position it will be prevented from further turning, so that it turns'on the shaft 1 and by simply turning the knob 5 once all the numeral wheels 2, 2 can be returned to their 0 position. On the shaft 1 being again released by the pin 9 the pins 11 of all numeral wheels 2, 2 can again engage in the corresponding pinions 13,13. Of course the pin 9 re- The counter is operated as follows: After the rocking lever 27 has been pivotally connected in the described manner with the reciprocating part, the number of strokes of which is to be counted, the knob 5 is at the proper moment pulled to the left in Fi s.

1 and 3 and turned for cancelingft 0 counter, whereupon by the'pin 9 the s'haft 1 is released, so that under the action of the helical spring 7 it returns to its normal position shown and the pins 11,11 ofa'll the numeral wheels 2, 2 rengage the pinions 13, 13. Thereby the counter is started.

The extreme right numeral wheel 2 serving I as units wheel or wheel'of lower ordervis fed one numeral forward for each stroke of the lever 27 and the several numerals appear one after the other in the slot or opening in the cover (notshown) as usual. When the units-wheel completes one -revolu tion, it feeds the tensfwheelor wheel of higher order one numeralforward bymeans of the pins 12, 12 and the corr'esponding pinion #13. Then tens-wheel in-turn on comp'letingf: the revolution feeds the hundredswheel are numeral forward, andso on.

I claim: 1 1. In amachine of the character described, a shaft, a numeral Wheel of lower order and a numeral wheelof higher order mounted on said'shaft andadapted to participate in its movement by frictional contact, a pair ;of pins' an'd an intermediate notch formed at one face of the numeral wheel of lower order, a plurality of pins formed at the 'opposed face of the numeral wheel of higher order, aten-carryin pinion rotatably-and non-slidably 'mounte in proximity toboth of said numeral wheels, said pinion being provided-with alternating short and long teeth, the short teeth being adapted to simultaneouslyenga e the pins of both of said numeral wheels, while the 'longwteet h normally engage the rim of the numeral ewhel of lower order and are adapted to engage the notch of said last named wheel, and means for firstly axially moving the shaft 'whereby the pinsof the numeral wheel of higher order are withdrawn from the path of the.pinion-teeth, while the pinion 1s' prevented from rotation by the engage'me-nt between its long teeth and the rim of the wheel of lower order, and for secondly rotating the shaft thereby taking both of the numeral wheels along.

2. In a machine of the character described,

a shaft a plurality of numeral Wheels carried thereby and adapted to participate in its movement by frictional contact, a pair of pins formed at one face of each of said numeral Wheels, a plurality of ten-carrying pinions, each pinion being adapted to oper atively connect two adjacent numeral wheels, and means for firstly axially moving and secondly rotating the shaft, the rotary move- Witnesses HELEN NUFER, ALBERT .NUFER. 

